


eye for an eye

by vicen_non



Series: Beyond Expiration [8]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Errortale Sans (Undertale), Errortale Sans/Inktale Sans (Undertale), Gen, Inktale Sans (Undertale), Not Canon Compliant, Paranormal, Some creepy shit, Thriller, not fanon compliant either HAHA, other things not tagged
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:27:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29681838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vicen_non/pseuds/vicen_non
Summary: Ink and Error have been on the run for a while, now. The end of the world depended solely on a game of cat and mouse, and while Error would normally be all for it, he wasn't keen on spending his life as a mindless puppet.
Relationships: Error & Ink, Error/Ink, Sans & Sans (Undertale), Sans/Sans (Undertale)
Series: Beyond Expiration [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1737121
Comments: 6
Kudos: 12





	1. doppelganger

Error warily regarded the two Inks in front of him with a degree of disgust and discomfort. His arms were tightly crossed over his chest, as one of them bared his teeth at the other like a feral animal. "Error!" One of them wailed. "Why are you just standing there! Help me!"

"How do I know you're not the fake one?"

The other Ink forced the complaining Ink onto the ground, smashing his face onto the dirt and concrete. See, he would care more if this didn't feel so cathartic.

"Just stay over there!" The currently winning Ink cheered. "I'll take care of this in a jiffy!" Cue mischievous cackle.

As the one who was winning exploded into ink, the real one laid on the ground pouting. Any previous distress was wiped from his face, his eyelights switching to purple and blue. "Oi, you failed my test! How come you didn't come dashing to my rescue, like a knight?"

Error squinted at him, slowly advancing, inching forward. His slippers shuffled on the ground, kicking tiny pebbles. "You've been whining all throughout our mission. I got annoyed." Ink picked up a small rock and threw it at his ankle, missing by a wide margin. He wailed like a small child, faking tears and theatrically turning onto his side to face away from Error. "How could you! Holding a grudge is so immature!"

His partner rolled his eyes and kicked him in the ass. Ink laughed in response, his voice bouncing off the walls of the empty parking lot. It filled the entire space with noise, as if thousands of thousands of copies of him were all laughing together. That would be a nightmare, Error thought, feeling the incoming migraine just from the very idea.

The echoes would continue for longer than what was natural, what with the building being rather large and spacious, but Ink grew tense and still. Error was unnerved by his sudden sobriety, seeing that he was no longer laughing or crying, but just staring down the length of the lot.

It was rather dark around the area. They were on the fourth floor, high off the ground, and surrounded by rustling trees with branches that reached for them desperately. The sky had long been overshadowed by the moon's entourage of dark clouds. The parking lot, abandoned, still had bright lights that would turn on automatically at night, so they would camp in the area to keep an eye on their surroundings.

The fourth floor was Ink's favorite floor to camp on. It had a few broken lights and several flickering ones, which made for 'excellent atmosphere' during the night time. He claimed that the darkness kept them both from getting too cozy with the area, and it seemed that the effect was working on him now.

"There's something there." Ink's voice came, suddenly muted. Error tsk'd. "Don't mess with me now, it won't work."

Error knew that Ink wouldn't do something stupid so soon. He normally waited till Error 'wasn't as mad' and then did something again. The silence was loud, in uproar, and it swallowed the joy from Ink's voice. Buried in the silence was laughter. Ink's laughter, an echo, still going.

"Okay, that's creepy." Error muttered. Ink slowly got to his feet, harsh shadows cast unto the ground by the overhead lighting, piercing through their still figures. He was still looking at something. Error couldn't see it, what with having fucked over his glasses in the last chase and turning them in to Sci for repair. He didn't enjoy having to rely on Ink to be his eyes.

Ink was staring into the lit portion of the parking lot. Error tried to focus on what he was looking at, but the longer he looked, the louder the silence got in his ears, like white noise or static pouring into an overflowing bucket. Error forced down his frustrated sigh. "What is it?" He eventually said. They had been standing there for two minutes.

It took Ink too long to reply. Error was growing more antsy as the seconds ticked past. There was no constant noise from Ink to push away the sound. No more stupid remarks, no silly comments, no jabs at his eyesight. All he could hear was the echo, still going, except...

"It's me." 

It was getting louder.

"It's me." He said, this time with a slight shake in his voice. The syllables fell from his mouth and ran. "And it- it's getting closer." 

Ink laughed again, and Error had to check and see if it was really him this time. It was, thankfully, and the notes came stuttered and anxious. His eyes quickly flickered back to the figure - blurry, blending in with the harsh lights - which was growing closer. "Why are we just standing here?" He whispered.

"I don't know!" His voice was getting higher pitched. "I don't know! Hahaha- I just feel- I just don't know! I can't move! I don't think I can move, I'm just-! I'm afraid! Hahah!"

He could see Ink's hands twitching, clenching, releasing, then clenching again. He felt too afraid to move as well, stuck and rooted to the spot, because he was blind. Error tried to punch Ink into moving, but he just fell to the ground limply. Error didn't think he hit that hard, either. "Hey!" He shouted, trying to break the silence that flooded his skull. "Get up!" He kicked Ink in the back, frustration and anger building in his chest again. He couldn't help it, feeling so angry, and how could he not? 

Ink's body barely even reacted to him. He didn't need to focus to hear Ink's laughter reapproaching now. The echo was growing closer, and a sensation of dread began to bore on him.

How come his shouting didn't echo back at him?


	2. mutiny

His chest stuttered. His vision was already blurry. "Ink." Error urged. "Ink. Say- say something, you fucking asshole." What was that falling from his eyes? "Something. Something." Ink wasn't moving. He could see the slightest movement of his chest, but Ink wouldn't say anything. The laughter grew louder. The wind was picking up outside. The leaves rustled. Noise, but where was his voice?

He was defenseless. He trusted Ink to guide them both. This is exactly what he thought would happen.

Error grabbed Ink's wrist and tried to pull at him, but his hand fell through. "What-?"

"Hey!" Ink's hand waved in front of him. "Falling asleep again? Maybe I should knock you out during the night time, so you can actually get some rest."

He frowned. Ink's grin faltered. "Hey, you're more grumpy than usual." Error got up from where they were sitting. Where were they? Everything was blurry, like a memory from a long time ago. The details on the edges of the table were soft. They were at a fast food place, and Ink was holding a cup of fries.

"Oh, I get it. You got pickles in your burger, didn'tcha? You gonna march up to the counter now?" He felt his eye twitch of its own accord, and Ink laughed. It startled him.

That's not right. They were just in a parking lot. Weren't... they? 

Error felt a strand of panic thread through his chest and around his throat. He couldn't remember.

Concern tinged Ink's once mirthful voice as he looked up at him. "What's up?"

No, no. Was he dreaming?

  
Error punched Ink. The other yelped as he skidded back in his metal chair, not expecting the lash. "Wha- I didn't even do anything this time!" Ink whined. It took him a moment to realize, and he hated that he differentiated like this, but his eyesight wasn't shitty enough. After being hit across the head, his eyesight and balance got way worse. This wasn't real.

"Stop that." He demanded, to whoever it was, whatever it was doing.

Ink was still on the ground of the parking lot. Error grasped the tears that fell from the edges of his eye sockets, taking desperate comfort in the way they dug into his fingers. Ink was still motionless, and Error could make out the figure as it came even closer. It wasn't walking. It was just hovering over the ground, mimicking Ink. Its head looked tilted toward his prone form, and Error stepped in front of him.

It was looking at him now, and he could feel it, from how his dread went from mild to mindnumbing. Error shakily pulled out his gun from his holster, the safety clicking as he shot at the thing, cursing aloud as black dyed its pale face but it kept moving.  
There were four bullets left. He had two more in his pocket. He shot again, this time at its neck, and the echoing laughter halted, but the thing didn't stop.

"You can't have him!" He shouted, deep in his chest, raw and unabashedly desperate. "You can't take him from me!"

It spoke, now, with a hole in its throat, and in disturbing clarity Error could see it now. It was all lies, it was eating his mind, and he wanted it out. Error didn't know how much it could see inside of his head but he didn't want it there. He could see through it. He could see through the holes in its body. 

_"You won't have to part if you just take the deal."_ Nightmare whispered. A hand curled over his shoulder, and Error jerked, repulsed. _"Ink is fine. I wouldn't harm a host."_

Relief tore through his panic, and a sob ripped from his chest. _"Shhh, it'll all be okay. Just give up."_

Error stumbled to his knees, his gun fumbled into its holster, his burning hands gathering Ink into his arms. Ink's body felt so light. He wasn't dead, he wasn't dead, just paralyzed. Distantly, he thought he should be more afraid right now. He should feel more than this, angry, maybe, but all he could think of was how relieved he was that Ink was alive. He had to focus - he had to get them out of here.

_"Where are you going?"_ Error didn't reply, throwing Ink over a shoulder and running in the direction that thing came from. _"I'll find you, wherever you go."_

No matter how far he got, the voice was still the same distance from his ear, whispering constantly that struggle was futile. It became pleading at some points, sad, and then angry and tearful. He couldn't listen to it.

 _"We thought you'd be different."_ Dream mourned. _"You are practical, unlike your mirror half. You would understand our plight, wouldn't you?"_

A cool breath ghosted over his neck. Error lost his scarf a while ago while running. It was too bright, anyway. 

_"I know you do. We all know. You'll give up soon."_

His footsteps echoed throughout the building as he stuttered down a staircase, the rust and chipped paint catching on his fingers as they slid down the railing. 

_"When you do... it'll all be okay."_


End file.
